Pearl Harbor Attack Pushes U.S. Into World War II

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, a naval base on the southern coast of Oahu Island, Hawaii, is the headquarters for the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Ford Island, pictured here on Nov. 10, 1941, lies at the center. In 1941, it would become an important target for the Japanese.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

Pearl Harbor, a naval base on the southern coast of Oahu Island, Hawaii, is the headquarters for the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Ford Island, pictured here on Nov. 10, 1941, lies at the center. In 1941, it would become an important target for the Japanese.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

The USS Arizona's forward magazine explodes. The battleship sunk on December 7, 1941, after being hit by a 1,760 pound bomb.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

The USS Shaw, a 1500-ton destroyer, was damaged during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The ship's forward magazines exploded, severing the bow and wrecking the bridge area.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

The USS Utah capsizes after being struck by three aerial torpedoes. The battleship was subsequently rolled over to clear the channel but left on the bottom.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

The wrecks of the USS Downes and USS Cassin are shown after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, Dec. 7, 1941.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

The USS Phoenix steams past the devastation on Battleship Row.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

The USS Oklahoma is righted, March 29, 1943, after the Dec. 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. When the ship rolled over during the attack, it killed 429 men. It was eventually repaired, but sank during a storm in 1947.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

Divers salvage a damaged ship at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in this undated photo.

U.S. Navy Photograph/National Archives Collection

Anniversary of Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbor

Members of the Naval Court of Inquiry, shown in this Oct. 1944 photo, exonerated Rear Adm. Kimmel for his role in the disaster and blamed Admiral Harold Stark, chief of naval operations, for failing to advise Kimmel. But in 1945, a Joint Congressional Committee Investigation found Kimmel and several others culpable.